For the fourth year in a row, Umeå University Holding offers students to develop their business ideas in the summer. The Summer Verification project involves 15 students from Umeå University and two business coaches from the university's incubators, Uminova eXpression and Uminova Innovation, with the aim of developing students' business ideas and entrepreneurship with the goal of turning them into companies.

There is a wide range of business areas again this year. Everything from cutting boards, jewellery, recruitment tools to a betting service for computer games.

- During Summer Verification 2018, we will develop a prototype that will demonstrate the main features of the service such as random matchmaking. In addition, we will investigate laws that may affect the service, including GDPR, Lottery laws and competition laws, bsays Jonas Gustafsson, one of four entrepreneurs in the betting service.

During the four-week project, participating students will be supported to verify and develop their business ideas and will have the opportunity to use the digital manufacturing and prototyping facilities available at Sliperiet. The aim is to take the business ideas forward into actual companies.

- Having the time and coaching gives me an opportunity to develop my business that I wouldn't have had otherwise. Having an office space and being part of a group of other entrepreneurs who can help each other and discuss solutions with is also very valuable, says Celine Strömbäck, founder of Celine Strömbäck Design.

It is incredibly exciting to follow the journey of the entrepreneurs during these weeks. Although the business ideas are of different types and at different stages in their development, they have a great exchange between each other and lift each other out of adversity, says Oskar Riby, business coach at Uminova eXpression and responsible for the Summer Verification Project.
Our hope is that the business ideas will continue to develop after the programme and become successful companies originating from Umeå University.

The following companies are participating in the Summer Verification 2018.